Rock style: Professor of architecture conquers luxury fashion world

How's this for a fashionable sideline? Richard Weston, 58, professor of architecture at Cardiff University, has conquered the luxury fashion world with his love of natural materials such as rocks, minerals and fossils.

After Weston's scarves were picked up by London department store Liberty last year, Harvey Nichols has now snapped up the professor's first range of sleeveless T-shirts. The four styles, named Obisidian, Opal, Snowy Quartz and Elestial Quartz, will go on sale in Harvey Nichols stores nationwide and online from the beginning of March, priced £110.

And this is just the beginning: "We are currently prototyping iPhone cases and sunglasses" Weston told us from his home the Welsh capital.

Possessing a passion for the patterns found in natural elements - over the past few years he admits to having spent in the region of £50,000 on new materials - Weston describes scanning and examining the specimens as "therapeutic". He explains: "The quality of nature cannot be bettered, they are fabulous."

Richard Weston and his vest tops priced £110 that will go on sale from early March.

Weston got his big break in fashion by attending Liberty's open day with a selection of digitally-printed scarves during their open day last year.

"As soon as they saw them, they put in an order" he reveals. Said scarves are currently stocked exclusively at Liberty, but online retailers and stores as far as Australia and France are also placing orders for the near future.

Has he been surprised by his sideline's success?

"Honestly, no!" he laughed. "I felt all along that I was going to get the scarves stocked in Liberty, they are stunningly beautiful, and I knew I was tapping into the trend for such prints."

With a business partner on board and Weston spending his two days a week away from the University of Cardiff "exploring new corners of science", fashion could be getting a lot more rock'n'roll yet.